Cats/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A black cat with two prominent fangs and Moby crouch in some grass. Tim walks in front of Moby and the cat. Moby jumps up behind Tim, and the cat jumps up in front of Tim and clings to his chest with a piece of paper in its mouth. TIM: Ahh! What's the matter with you? Ahh! Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, Can you tell me everything you know about cats? Thanks. From Chloe. Cats are pretty amazing animals. They belong to the family Felidae, which is why they're called felines. There are 37 feline species in the world, including lions, tigers, panthers, and leopards. A lion, a tiger, a panther, and a leopard are shown. TIM: The ones we keep as pets are just called cats, or house cats, and they're probably related to the African wild cat. A house cat is shown sitting on a desk. Next, a striped African wild cat is shown in the African plains. TIM: Cats have long been noted for being mysterious, smart, and very good companions. The oldest evidence we have of cats being kept as pets goes all the way back about 9,000 years to Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The camera zooms in on a map to show a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. TIM: About 4,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptians started keeping cats to prevent rodents from eating their crops. The camera moves down the map to Africa. Egyptian hieroglyphs and an engraving of a seated cat are shown. TIM: The Egyptians came to idolize cats; they developed laws to protect them, and often mummified them after death! Two wrapped cat mummies are shown. TIM: There was even an Egyptian cat goddess called Bast! Ancient Egyptians are shown worshipping in front of a statue of a woman with a cat's head. TIM: Lots of people these days still keep cats as pets, and farmers use them to get rid of rodents. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Well, cats are natural hunters-- if you've ever watched one stalking a mouse or a bird, you can see how adept they are at it. A cat creeps up behind a bird standing in the grass. TIM: House cats don't always eat their prey because their owners keep them well fed, but old habits die hard. Sometimes, cats will even give their prey to their owners-- some scientists think that it’s their way of contributing to the household! A cat is shown sitting on the front step of a house. A dead mouse lies in front of it, and a person stands in the open doorway of the house. TIM: All cats have amazing senses. They can hear and smell way better than humans can. And they can see in way darker conditions. A split-screen with three horizontal images appears. The top one shows a cat's ears; the middle one shows its nose, whiskers, and mouth; and the bottom one shows its eyes. The top two images are replaced by an infrared image of a bird. TIM: The nerve endings in a cat's whiskers are so sensitive, they can feel differences in air pressure caused by movement. A cat twitches its whiskers as a butterfly flies by. TIM: The whiskers are as long as their bodies are wide, so cats use them to see if they can fit into tight spaces. A cat peers through a hole in a fence, sticks its head through, and then steps its front legs through. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, all cats are pretty much the same on the inside, but their looks vary a lot. Cats are divided into longhaired or shorthaired varieties, and there are lots of different breeds. Side-by-side close-ups of short fur and long fur are shown. TIM: There are Persian cats, Siamese cats, Manx cats, Abyssinian cats, Siberian cats, Russian Blue cats, Maine Coon cats, Bombay cats, Ragamuffin cats... Different breeds are shown as Tim mentions them. The Persian, Manx, Siberian, Maine coon, and Ragamuffin cats are longhaired; the Siamese, Abyssinian, Russian Blue, and Bombay cats are shorthaired. MOBY: Beep! A close-up of Tim is shown with Moby's hand over his mouth. TIM: Okay, okay, I just wanted to give a...give a shout out to all the cool cats! Tim puts on a pair of sunglasses. TIM: Cats are often solitary creatures, which means they like to be on their own. Although, feral cats sometimes live in groups called colonies. A feral cat is a housecat that doesn't have an owner. There are often feral colonies living in alleys, parks, or anywhere cats can scrounge for food. A cat is shown lying on the sidewalk in front of a trashcan. The camera pans back to show another cat scratching itself on the sidewalk, one sitting in the trashcan, and two more sitting on top of a brick wall. TIM: Most other cats are not really social the way dogs are-- although they can get into cuddly moods. A cat jumps into Moby's arms and starts purring. Moby places the cat on the ground. MOBY: Beep? TIM: Yeah, I've always wondered, too. Scientists still aren't exactly sure how a cat purrs, but most think the noise is caused by muscles contracting in the cat's larynx, or voice box. Most people think cats purr just when they're happy and being petted, but they also purr when they feel stress or anxiety. A cat inches out on a high tree branch and then falls. It lands on its feet. TIM: Oh, and by the way, cats don't really have nine lives. That myth probably arose because cats can survive falls from very high places. TIM: Cats usually live an average of 12 to 15 years. If you have a cat, you can keep it healthy by making sure it has a nutritious diet, plenty of water and exercise, and regular visits to the vet. It's also a good idea to get your cat spayed or neutered-- and that means it can't have babies anymore. MOBY: Beep! TIM: I know, but it's healthier for the cat, and it'll prevent strays in the future. Tim pets the cat, which purrs. TIM: This cat really loves the attention, doesn't she? You're a cute cat. The cat pounces on Moby and bites his ankle. TIM: Ha, ha, ha… MOBY: Beep! Moby frowns. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts